A: Joe says it has to do with how cold it is: "The colder the air, typically the drier the snow, which means there's less water in between the ice crystals. So when there's less water and you step on them - you get this crunching - they're slamming together and they're not lubricated between the ice crystals."

Q: Why does it seem so quiet when the ground is covered with snow?

A: Joe says, "That's because the sound gets absorbed by the snow, the sound waves get absorbed by the snow rather than reflecting off them."